Thank you
by thecoldforest
Summary: Ever since the death of Nakamura Ageha, a girl who somehow wormed her way into the hearts of the GoM, nothing has been the same. Each member, in their own way, feel her absence, more so Kuroko Tetsuya, who was considered a very close friend to the girl. Yet, with the arrival of a strange girl who goes by Neko, Kuroko discovers more about what really happened than he ever wanted to.
1. Prologue

**A/N**

**Hello:)**

**This is my first time writing for KnB, so, be warned, character OOCness probably will be common. Midorima might just do the chicken dance and Akashi might have a secret Barbie doll collection. Might. Not saying that will actually happen, but it might.**

**Also, be warned, this is a supernatural fic featuring zombieish beings, hot, sword wielding older brothers, and ramen, yet somehow still follow the main story line. **

**There will be some mentioned AoKise, KagaKuro, and MidoTaka, but this fic, in itself, is not a yaoi.**

**I do not own Kuroko no Basket or any of its characters, just my OCs.**

* * *

Prologue-

_"Do you see now, Madeline?" There was nothing but disappointment in her father's eyes as he gazed down upon her. "Do you see now, why we are different, why we are here and they are there?"_

_Madeline ran her arm across her face, brushing away her fallen tears. "I t-thought that w-we could be friends. T-they were really nice to m-me."_

_"That will never happen."_

_-Jae Adwin, The Secret life of Madeline Grace_

The world around when she opened her eyes was blurry and bright, filled with a grey-white light that made her eyes ache and water. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision, before bringing her hands to her face rubbing her eyes with their backs. When she removed them again, her sight was no better than it previously was. She sighed at this, and let her hands fall to her chest. She could feel her heart beat, slowly and faintly, but still beat.

Wrapped in a comforting warmth, resting on something incredibly soft, this surprised the girl. Her heart was beating.

That meant she was alive, right?

The corners of her mouth tilted upward at the thought. Somehow, in some explainable way, she had survived. She was alive. Her heart beat. She could see, even if it was not as well as before. And, that meant she could still see them, perhaps explain. Those guys, they were strange, but they'd understand her reasons if she explained. Then, maybe, they'd all go out for ice-cream and make the blond pay for everything, each one claiming they had no money to spare. He'd protest, of course, get angry and maybe cry, but do it anyway and pout. The blond would get over it, though, and challenge the tan skinned blunette to another one-on-one basketball game. The purple haired giant would vanish for a short period of time, but return with an arm full of surgary snacks that he had just purchased with the money he said he didn't have.

_Murasakibaracchi!_

They'd all laugh, except for the green haired tsundere character that would push up his glasses with a bandaged fingered hand and think to himself _What Idiots._

_Nee, Mido-kun, if you hang out with idiots in your free time, doesn't that make you an idiot, too?_

"You have the weirdest expression on your face." The voice that spoke up startled her, knocking her out of her fantasy where everyone was laughing. "I was quite worried about you, too. You took much longer to wake up than the others."

That voice…it was one she didn't know.

"How do you feel? Does it hurt anywhere? Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

No matter where she looked how she twisted around in the bed she found herself in, she couldn't find the source of the voice anywhere. She still couldn't see clearly.

"Where are you?" She asked aloud, returning to her original position on her back.

"You can't see me?"

She shook her head. "No."

"That's okay. It's common for vision to be slightly impaired for a short period of time. It'll go away soon." The girl felt something warm touch her right hand gently. "But I'm right here, okay?"

She nodded, then frowned slightly. "Are you a doctor?"

The one who spoke did not speak for a small period of time.

"I suppose you could say that." It replied slowly. "But not really. After all, I don't know how to do stitches or how to realign a bone or anything like that." There was a short, laugh like sound. "I actually almost didn't get to you on time. I actually thought I was too late to bring you back when you didn't wake up for such a long time." A pause. "But, I'm too good to mess up. I have to be, by now."

"Bring me back?"

The warmth left her hand. "Tell me your name." The voice suddenly requested, the tone matching one used often by a certain red-headed team captain she knew, though not very well.

"Nakamura Ageha." She replied, after a second's hesitation.

For a long time, Ageha was only met with silence. At one point, she began to think that the one who spoke with her had left. It scared her because, for some strange reason, though she did not know the one who owned the voice, she was not afraid of it. She was more afraid of being alone.

Then, there was a soft sound. An exhale, perhaps. Or a sigh.

"You're wrong." It said, tone sad. "You see, Nakamura Ageha is dead. Has been for almost a year."

"But, I-"

"Now, now." The voice said, cutting her off as she was about to protest. Right here. She was right here. Her heart was beating, so she was alive and well. She would go apologize to her friends and then everything would be fixed and everyone would laugh again. "I'm gonna put you back to sleep again, okay? Please, don't fight. It won't be scary this time, I promise."

Something warm touched her hand again and Ageha found that she had absolutely no will to fight against the voice anyway. No desire, no screaming urge. She trusted that speaker, completely and against her better judgment. As she slipped back into the warm darkness she awoke from, she let herself think of ice cream and laughter.

* * *

**A/N**

**Shortest chapter ever OTL**

**Until next update.**

**-tcf**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N**

**I do not own KnB or its amazing characters in anyway, shape, or form. If I did, KagaKuro, AoKise, and MidoTaka would so exists and Murasakibara would be my snack buddy.**

* * *

_Chapter 1-_

_As soon as they turned the corner, Madeline ripped her arm from the grip of the tall man and, quickly, jabbed him in the side with a small fist._

"_Why did you save me?" She demanded, furious. _

_The man glared down at her, rubbing his side lightly, as if it really hurt._

"_Why?" He repeated. "Because I felt sorry for you."_

_-Jae Adwin, __The Secret Life of Madeline Grace_

If you asked her what her name was, depending on if you had enough patience to deal with her after she might've just accidentally walked right into you, or you into her, she'd say her name was Neko. But, because she disliked formalities, she'd say you could call her Neko-chan or just Neko. Only her brother called her Neko-san, for reasons unknown, but if one questioned this, she'd only shrug and smile. _Onii-chan is Onii-chan._

You might pause, taking in this sudden new information with a subtle confusion.

_Just Neko? _You might ask.

She would nod.

_Neko…chan?_

She would nod again, seemingly overjoyed, a grin splashing across her features that was much different than the smile she previously gave you. This one, though seemingly unwarranted, was much more vibrant. Alive. Like the sun.

_I'm Neko-chan! _She'd proclaim, proudly pulling up the hood of the worn sweat shirt she was wearing to show off the multicolored cat ears she made and attached all by herself.

_Neko-chan…_

_What's your name? _She'd then ask, pushing her hood down again, stowing away her ears, her eyes wide like a curious child.

You reply, of course, in a slight daze. After all, she had given her name. It would be impolite not to give your name in return.

Neko would then repeat it back to you, giving you the same questioning tone that you gave her when she first said her name. You'd nod back.

_I see, _she say, smile dropping from her face. She'd drop her head and let it hand but, just as you were about to say something, she'd lift her head up and smile._ Sorry about this._

And, with quick movements that are difficult for you to follow, she'd plant a quick kiss on your cheek. As your vision fades to black, you'll see a pair of feet skitter away and vanish in the crowd.

* * *

With the control and stealth of the animal she was named after, Neko blended herself seamlessly with the evening crowd, slipping past and through the warm bodied crowd unnoticed. Behind her, she could still hear a slightly panicked crowd fussing over the person that suddenly fell unconscious on the side walk.

The person she kissed.

Not that that really mattered anyway. It wasn't a meaningful kiss, nothing that she would remember for long. Plus, it was only one day. One day that she stole. A day that she planned to give back, eventually. Yet, at the same time, that was a horrible thing, that one day, because it meant that she'd have to do the same thing tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after. Simply because she couldn't take more than one day.

No, not couldn't, but wouldn't.

With a sigh, Neko pulled up her hood again, hiding her face as she hung her head hidden beneath the hand made cat ears.

She really shouldn't feel so guilty. There were others who stole weeks, even years, with no plans to return them. She wasn't bad, not compared to them. In fact, one of the others called her a prude. This made no sense to her though, since she had no troubles interacting with the opposite sex. She remembered recommending the other to get a dictionary before she left, disappearing into the night.

* * *

Several hours after the incident on the street, as Neko, who had nothing better to do with the rest of her day, wandered the streets aimlessly, her stomach began to rumble. It was soft at first, easy to ignore, and that is exactly what she did. Hunger was nothing new for her, not in her current situation. Days, she had gone with out eating before. But Neko didn't mind. Eating, for her, was like sleeping-She'd never do it if it wasn't required for survival.

And she had come much, much too far to call it quits now.

For quite a while longer, the cat continued to wander, the rumbling in her stomach growing a bit louder. At one point, right around the time that the sun was beginning to set, that cursed internal organ let off an angry growl that was loud enough to draw curious glances from the people around her. Some one laughed. _Someone sure is hungry._

Neko, looking down at her midsection with a look of subtle exasperation, sighed. _You're so mean. _ She thought at it, poking herself as her face turned into a pout that, to most people, would look just adorable on her childish face. _ You know I have no money to feed you, right?_

The stomach growled again.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Neko wrapped her arms around herself let out a small moan.

How long had it been since she last ate again? She couldn't quite remember. The day before yesterday, maybe?

_Why did I have to be born with a stomach?_

"Excuse me."

In an instant, Neko's eyes are open and she's in the air, almost unconsciously, emitting a high pitched squeak as she jumps back from the voice that suddenly appeared in front of her. Her normally slow heart was racing. Placing a sleeve covered hand on her chest, Neko met the flat eyed gaze of a blue haired boy who didn't look the least bit surprised at her reaction. And, not knowing what else to do, she smiled.

* * *

Sometime later, Neko was walking again, let her feet take her where they will as she continued to bite into the soft, flavorful deliciousness of the food the boy had given her, placing the warm paper wrapped object in her hand and then simply disappearing in the crowd, just as she would, before she could protest or give her thanks.

What had he called it again? A cheesy booger?

She took another bite.

Normally, Neko would never consider eating a booger. Never. Boogers were gross, that wass all that was too it.

This booger, however, was something special. Real special. A booger sent from above. The food of kings.

A booger made of meat, bread, and vegetables.

She swallows with a small moan of utter content. Next time Neko sees that boy, she will thank him. She will, and she will not forget.

* * *

_He's got nothing redeeming… He's not even worth playing against!_

"Don't mess with me! Did you hear what I said!?" The red head shouted. "You're overestimating yourself if you think you can win against me like that!"

His blue haired opponent blinks at him once as he walks back to the middle of the court, ball in his hands, very mild surprise barely showing on his face. "Of course not." Kuroko Tetsuya replied. "Isn't it obvious that Kagami-kun is the strongest? I knew that from the beginning."

"Are you picking a fight…!?" Kagami Taiga, whose gaze can be compared to that of the ferocity of a tiger, shook, his annoyance growing to the point of anger. "What's your goal…!?"

"I wanted to see how good you were for myself." Kuroko said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

* * *

**A/N**

**OMG, I got three reviews for one chapter?! Kyaa~! -faints-**

**Many thanks to Incendo, reiicchi, and koryandrs for reviewing and to Incendo and reiicchi for you favs and follows! You guys is amazing!^.^**

**Thanks to anyone reading this right now, too, you guys are great as well!**

**Sorry there's no zombie action yet, it will come.**

**BTW, another warning. Possible character death. Dundundunnnn!**

**The Last scene was basically put in there just to show where we start off at. I mixed the manga and the anime up a bit. Sorry if it sucks, but it was my first time ever doing a scene like that.**

**Also, there is a perfectly legit reason as to why her brother calls Neko, 'Neko-San'. I do know that siblings don't usually, if at all on any occasion, refer to each other as -San. **

**Until next update (no guarantees that they'll come as quick as this)**

**-tcf**


	3. Chapter 2

**(A/N) **

**I don't own anything KnB. Just my many OCs.**

* * *

_**Chapter 2-**_

_**Our pleasures were simple - they included survival.  
-Dwight D. Eisenhower**_

A storm blew itself in the next day, bloated and angry, cloaking the sky in a think blanket of deep gray that seemed to stretch itself onward to oblivion. Most likely feeling a great sense of domination and pride, the storm, its laugh echoing in a thunderous boom, drenched the ant-like beings trapped on the ground quite mercilessly as they crawled along with an amusing amount of desperation, shielding themselves with their jackets, bags or, if they were luck, and umbrella as they searched for some sort of shelter. The world flashed brightly for only an instant before another episode of thunder shook the sky.

The storm smiled.

The rain fell.

And the people, rushing for the nearest form of cover, completely ignored the lifeless looking house.

Depending on who you asked, and who you could ask was quite limited, you could be told that there was an old man who lived in that house. He was a kind man, well respected. That old man had lived in that house longer than anyone could remember. Then, quite suddenly, he died, not six months ago from what seemed to of natural causes. A relative, it is said, is paying to keep the house off the market. No one knows the reason behind this. You could also be told about the bitter couple who inhabited the house. The two could not stand each other, the reason behind their marriage remaining unknown, and their fights and arguments could be heard some long distance away. Then, one day, also quite suddenly, the couple disappeared. Perhaps the husband did away with the wife, or the wife did away with the husband. No one knows.

There are other variations of the story as to the abandonment of the house, whether it be because of kind old men or hateful couples, but one thing remains constant.

Do not go near that house, all the story tellers would say. It is a cursed place, haunted by malevolent spirits.

You will not return, should you enter that house.

It was that house, haunted as it may be, that Neko called her "home". She didn't know about any old men or hateful couples, nor did she know about any ghosts or malevolent spirits. Neko, dripping wet, shivering from beneath a thin blanket that smelled like dirt, could honestly care less at this time.

Tucking herself into the darkest, most close pack corner she could find, Neko let out a soft whimper as another exploding bout of cruel laughed thundered from the gray storm. Squeezing her eyes shut against the dark of the house, she curled herself even tighter, covering her ears. The wetness of the sleeves of her sweater, which had already soaked through the thin material of her blanket, did little to warm her cold ears, but she didn't care.

_Please, go away. Go away, go away._

There was another flash of lightning, and another clap of thunder.

_Goawaygoawaygoaway…_

Eventually, the silent plea the only thing on her mind, replaying over and over, Neko fell asleep in that dark corner of the haunted and supposedly abandoned house.

* * *

For several hours after, not a sound could be heard from that house. The mice that may or may not creep through the walls made not a single peep, as if they did not exist in the first place. The roof did not groan, as it sometimes did when the wind blew too hard, nor did the floorboards in the far corner of the first bedroom creak as they sometimes did when there was no one in the room. Nothing disturbed Neko from her much needed sleep, and, most likely, nothing really would.

Across the street, an old woman lived in a similarly built house as the one Neko was currently staying in. She had lived their many, many years, since her children were still children before they had their own children. She had known the old man that lived in Neko's home before, and she knew the bitter couple before they disappeared. She knew of the stories about the spirits that supposedly haunted that house, and she did not believe them. Yet, on this rain day, she had the most foreboding feeling. Sitting by the window in her most comfortable chair, the old woman watched the house across the street, where the light shone from the inside only on rare occasions despite its current inhabitation. She watched it as the rain fell, tapping on the roof of her house and splattering across the ground in large, cold drops. All was quiet in her house.

And then it appeared.

The figure's appearance startled the old woman, who jumped in her chair. The figure, simply a tall, black shape outside her window, took no notice of the woman. With quick, long strides, the figure walked up to the front door of the house across the street. He knocked, loudly, the old woman thinking that she could hear each knock as if it on her own door, three times.

The figue knocked again, in a similar manner, three more times, pausing for a short period of time between each.

As expected, each time, there was no answer.

The old woman, sitting at the edge of her chair, watched this figure with quite antisipation. No one went to that house very often, and certainly not as if they're expecting someone to answer.

Beside her, her cat, once a stray kitten that she took pity on a few years back, sat itself down and let out a long, annoyed meow. Such a meow reminded her of her late husband's constant complaining.

_Make me dinner. Bring me a beer. _

_Stupid whore, why did I marry you?_

_Worthless._

Tearing her gaze away from the window, the woman smiled down at the cat and reached out a hand_. But we took care of him, didn't we?_ The cat, with a purr, rubbed its head lovingly against the woman's out stretched palm. The bastard won't bother us anymore.

When she looked back out the window again, shortly after, the figure was gone. The house across the street remained dark and lifeless in the storm that continued to rage on.

Nothing was different. All was right.

However, the woman's previous feeling of foreboding did not diminish one bit. Yet, despite this, she thought that, the longer she looked at that house, waiting for whatever the figure was waiting for, the less she would see. And, though she did not want to, the woman slowly stood, her joints popping as she did so, and, with a sigh, she shuffled away. Her cat followed eagerly after her.

* * *

There had been only one other time besides this that Sasaki Isamu had found himself in such a situation. The first time, with the other girl, Isamu could do nothing but sit and try to comfort her, as her brother would have done had he still been able to. Yet, now, he couldn't remember exactly how much time had gone by since she had died. A month? A year? Five? Ten? She called for her brother, her friends, even her parents. And he sat there, holding her hand the entire time.

Looking down at the girl before him now, her black hair spilling across the slightly dirty couch pillow in a tangled mess as she lay curled beneath a thin blanket and his own jacket on the living room couch, he couldn't help but think about that girl.

_Why do your eyes look so sad?_

Slowly lowering himself into a crouch, Isamu closes his eyes.

_Do you want some candy?_

He let out a soft sigh. Opening his eyes again, Isamu watched the girl sleep. In and out, her breathing was smooth and even. He could hear her heartbeat, beating so much slower than a normal person's. A small crease had formed between had formed between her eyebrows, and he remembered the other girl had that too.

They did look a lot alike, now that he thought about it. The other girl would definitely look older now though. Maybe more mature. But her personality wouldn't change. She'd always smile.

This girl though, his first little sister, would always be a child. Her appearance wouldn't change. She wouldn't grow, or develop. She wouldn't grow up to love, to have kids of her own, a family. She couldn't be anything.

It was all his fault.

With a small frown, Isamu reached out a slightly hesitant hand and gently brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. The crease on her face deepened, and the black haired girl stirred. Isamu held his breath. With an incoherent mumble, she curled herself even tighter into a ball.

But, much to his relief, she did not wake.

Much like he often did, Isamu stood and quietly let himself out of the house without saying a word, leaving in his wake a cleaner kitchen, washed clothes, some food and money, a sleeping fifteen year old, and a packet of papers. Using his key, he locked the door from the outside. Really, this was all he could do for her now.

As he walked away, the sky still dark despite the storm being long over, he absent-mindedly wondered what Mitsuo would think of him now.

* * *

Light poured in through all the open windows then next morning, waking Neko from her slumber far too soon for her liking. Feeling groggy and stiff, only a quarter aware of anything around her, she yawned loudly, stretching as tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Nyaaaaa..."

Blinking, she sat up. She was warmer than usual, considering she only had a thin blanket to sleep under. Not that she minded. If she was honest she liked it. And her clothes were dry too...

For a moment, Neko felt utterly content. If she were really a cat, she would probably purr. And then, her stomach started to rumble.

Looking down at her midsection, She let out a sigh of disdain and began to kick away the blanket that had wrapped itself around the legs and proceeded to get up off the floor. It was only after she fell and ended up landing on her face did she realize she wasn't on the floor, where she remembered falling asleep. And, though it hurt a lot, she was thankful for that kind of wake up. Suddenly aware of everything, she noticed that her living space was considerably neater and smelled a bit better. She noticed the pile of neatly folded clothes in the corner, clean, where they weren't yesterday. She noticed that the clothes she was wearing were different from the wet ones she had on yesterday (Neko turned bright red at this realization, knowing full well that she wasn't the one who changed her clothes).

Then, she noticed, among the twisted blanket at the foot of the couch, was a black garment that she had seen only one other person wear. Moving forward on her knees, she pulled the thick material from the thinner and grinned, hugging the jacket to her chest.

_Nii-chan!_

The grin not disappearing from her face, the fifteen year old stood and wrapped the soft material around herself like a blanket and nearly skipped towards her small kitchen, wanting to see what other goodies her big brother left for her while she was asleep.

* * *

**(A/N)**

**Now that I'm finally a junior in high school, I have realized something...**

**School sucks.**

**This chap was supposed to be up a few weeks ago, but I just never got around to finishing it until just about a half an hour ago. Sorry. And sorry that not much happened in this chap. I promise, we meet some of the cannon characters next chap (Kise, for example).**

**Thanks to those who reviewed and all that other good stuff, you guys are the best ^^**

**Until next update**

**-tcf**

**PS-**

**I-kun, Inu comes in next chap too XD**


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